- In a saucepan mix flour, salt & cream of tartar. Add water, oil & food coloring. Cook about 3 minutes or until mixture draws away from pan. Cool until you are able to knead. Knead until smooth and place in an airtight container. If it’s still sticky just add more flour. I actually usually add quite a bit more.

* You can also add doTERRA essential oils for even more fun. I like to add Lavender for play before nap time. Or peppermint if morning play time. The options of oil adding are limitless. Ohh you can also add OnGuard if kids are having friends over and you want to keep any sickies away.

I LOVE Pinterest. Late night pinning sessions are currently my thing. For awhile now I’ve been searching for a piece of furniture to add to the kids playroom that would help with organization and also the ability keep the kids away from certain things I like to watch them with… like their montessori counting items that seem to always get lost if I’m not monitoring. Well during a recent pinning session I came across this image where a mama used an Ikea bookshelf in her kids room. I LOVED this idea. Big enough to add almost everything, room for boxes to keep all JJ’s costumes and super heroes while also having space for books. The best part is it is inexpensive and also very sturdy. I am LOVING our Ikea Kallax bookshelf.

Most of you by now have probably heard about oil pulling. It’s been noted everywhere from the blogs to the local news. It’s the latest “dental hygiene craze” and if I say so myself, it definitely deserves all the hype it’s currently receiving. In short oil pulling consist of pulling and swishing 1 tablespoon of Coconut, Olive, Grapeseed or some other carrier oil around in your mouth and through your teeth for about 15-20 minutes and then spitting without ingesting. Studies show oil pulling can achieve remarkable results with illnesses like migraine headaches, bronchitis, diseased teeth, arterio thrombosis, chronic blood disorders such as leukemia, arthritis and related illnesses, neuro-physiological paralysis, eczema, gastro enteritis, peritonitis, heart disease, kidney disease, meningitis, and woman’s hormonal disorders are completely eliminated from the organism. According to the African Journal of Microbiology Research, oil pulling is an effective defense against the bacteria associated with dental caries (tooth decay). Studies show that it has also been beneficial in the elimination of bleeding gums, the fastening of loose teeth and the visible whitening of the teeth.

Now how about taking all that to another level by adding CPTG (certified pure therapeutic grade) essential oils!

Directionsvia doTERRA by Amber:

Add your essential oils based on issues. They might include, but are NOT limited to:

Take the oils into the mouth but do not swallow it. Move the oil slowly in the mouth as rinsing or swishing and as Dr Karach puts it; ” sip, suck and pull through the teeth” for fifteen to twenty minutes. This process thoroughly mixes the oils with saliva. Swishing activates the enzymes and the enzymes draw toxins out of the blood. The oil must not be swallowed, for it has become toxic. As the process continues, the oil gets thinner and white. It is then spit from the mouth, the oral cavity must be thoroughly rinsed and mouth must be washed thoroughly. Just use normal tap water and brush with normal toothpaste or even better with OnGuard toothpaste.

This has in effect pulled toxins and poisons out through the mucous membranes of the mouth to be expelled. If you use virgin coconut oil, expel into the garbage, as it can solidify in the drain.

It is important to understand that during the oil-pulling/swishing process one’s metabolism is intensified. Many feel this leads to improved health. For many, the most striking results of this process is the fastening of loose teeth, the healing of sores, the elimination of bleeding gums and the visible whitening of the teeth.

The oil pulling /swishing is done best before breakfast. To accelerate the healing process, it can be repeated three times a day, but it is always best before meals on an empty stomach.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to get your guy into a healthier lifestyle! What better way to show your love than taking care of his health by gifting him these cool, unique, safe, non-toxic and eco-friendly finds. The key to finding the perfect gift is searching for meaningful gifts. Gifts that will truly make a difference throughout the year. After many years of trying to find the perfect products for my hubby these are his top picks and of course I’m over the moon to know his choices are non-toxic and eco-friendly!

3. I’ve mentioned a few times here how amazing my body has felt since doing a daily detox by simply adding a couple of drops of doTERRA’s lemon essential oil to my water. Well here’s a great way to make sure your man is drinking his water and also getting a detox in. With lifefactory’s 16 oz glass bottle with classic cap and silicone sleeve. It’s the perfect bottle for travel and glass keeps everything cold and safe especially when adding essential oils.

4. For the man that likes an after shave balm BullDog sells one that my husband loves. Bulldog products are free of artificial colors, synthetic fragrances or ingredients from animal sources.

5. This is a fun find. My husband never carries a wallet. He’s a money clip type of guy and this clip is such a cool way to carry you money and your cards around. The Harmon by JesseBeam!!

6. Last but not least is this Lucky Tiger facial wash for men. Packed with essential oils it’s definitely a top pick!

Have you started your quest to live a more natural lifestyle? If not it’s the perfect time and why not start with the one you love. If you ever have any questions about certain products or how/where to start your natural living quest feel free to reach out.

With every postpartum recovery around 6/7 weeks I start to get homesick. Not the homesick like in I miss my house but homesick like I feel trapped in my house and need an out. I start to get bored, as if I should ever be bored with 3 kids, but I do. I feel a need to be in environments with people over the age of 3. This postpartum hasn’t been much different. Currently I feel the need to plan vacations, take random meaningless drives around the neighborhood and make random target trips… but all with my kiddos in tow. Is it just me? Do you mamas have the same desire around the 6/7 week postpartum recovery?

Thank God for my husband. He totally gets me and understands my need for spontaneity and the need to be outdoors. Even if outdoors means a trip to the ice cream restaurant Ferrell’s. This was our first trip out of the house as a family of 5 + my beautiful niece, who without I probably would’ve lost my mind by now. I’ll get everything in order and on a routine soon but currently getting out is a work in progress.

Ferrell’s was amazing! Have you tried Ferrell’s? We indulged in burgers, chili dogs, pizza and of course ice cream sundaes. Perfect for the mama who needs an outing that the kids will love. Heres to many more fun, spontaneous and wild outings with these beautiful souls of mine. Heres to being a family of five!!!

Every Friday I’ll be posting doTERRA tips. This way you can get familiar with essential oils along with ways you can incorporate natural living + natural healthcare into your lifestyle. This week I’m focusing on taking doTERRA essential oils internally. I get tons of questions regarding if it is safe to internally take these oils. And the answer is YES! As long as the bottle states “SUPPLEMENTAL FACTS”. Not all essential oil brands are equal. Make sure your using Pure Essential Oils made with no fillers or synthetics especially if taking internally. The MAJOR difference between doTERRA essential oils and other brands is doTERRA is Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES CPTG MEAN?

Every batch of dōTERRA® essential oils is subjected to strict requirements set forth in the CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® quality protocol. This protocol ensures potency, purity, and consistency batch to batch.

The CPTG testing begins immediately after distillation with each oil being reviewed for its chemical composition. A second round of testing is carried out at our production facility to ensure that what was distilled and tested is the same essential oil as was received. A third review of the chemistry of the oil is conducted in a three-phase procedure as the oils are packaged into the bottles we use as consumers. Each of these tests confirms that the essential oil is free of contaminants and unexpected alterations during production.

The CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade quality protocol includes the following tests:

Organoleptic testing

Microbial testing

Gas chromatography

Mass spectrometry

Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

Chirality testing

Isotopic analysis

Heavy metal testing

Remember to make sure that if your using essential oils the quality is Pure Grade. You do not want to start your quest for natural living full of synthetics and fillers.

Generally when you look at my families size one wouldn’t think we struggled with fertility. But the truth is we did. I was the wife, like many, that truly believed I may not ever have a child of my own. Obviously this was before my second and third child, this struggle was with our first. Which also was before I started on my quest to live a more natural lifestyle. After around 9 months of trying to conceive we decided to visit a fertility doctor. Immediately we were told I probably had PCOS and was urged to start clomid. And we did, month after month on clomid hoping this would help us to conceive. After the third month of regular ovulation, clomid and still no baby our doctor advised us that we may need to proceed with an IUI. IUI is defined as: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) — a type of artificial insemination — is a procedure for treating infertility. Sperm that have been washed and concentrated are placed directly in your uterus around the time your ovary releases one or more eggs to be fertilized. We agreed, went through the shots to prepare, pills and procedure and still no baby! Around this time we began to give up hope. Our doctor started to talk about IVF, which was way more expensive than an IUI and ultimately something I wasn’t really too excited to go through. I just felt I needed a break, that my body needed a break from the pills and shots and appointments. This decision came after a movie date with my hubby in which my vision became very blurry. Almost to the point where I needed him to guide me to the car. Although my doctor claimed this was probably from stress I knew it more than likely had to do with the chemicals I was putting in my body. So we decided a break is what we needed. The disappointment and now blurry vision was enough to say, “Uncle” and take a couple months off. But before we were going on a break from “trying”, I wanted to try a procedure I had read about. It’s called hysterosalpingogram (HSG). This is a medical test where dye is injected into a woman’s uterus and her fallopian tubes. A reproductive endocrinologist takes X-rays to determine if the dye can pass through her tubes. The actual test itself can help clear out tiny blockages in the fallopian tubes. During the test the endocrinologist informed me that my tubes were indeed blocked and fortunately the dye had cleared the blockage. Blessed to say a couple weeks after the test we were pregnant with JJ our now almost 4 year old.

I wanted to share my story with you because I want anyone out there struggling with fertility to know you are not alone and to never give up hope! Also, I wish I knew what I know now. I wish I knew about natural treatments. I wish I knew about dōTERRAback then. I’ve read so many great reviews about this infertility routine using dōTERRA’s products that I had to share it with you all. Here is more info on the routine from one of my favorite books titled, “Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth & Babies”, by Stephanie Fritz.

“Below is the protocol I recommend to anyone who struggles with infertility. This protocol should be followed until pregnancy occurs. You can then discontinue GX Assist and continue everything else throughout pregnancy.

* GX Assist (a candida cleanse): Take the first ten days of the month, one or two capsules three times a day.

* PB Assist (pre and pro0biotic): Take on days eleven through fifteen, one tablet three times a day, then one a day until end of the month to finish remaining tablets.

* Phytoestrogen: Take one or two tablets every day to help eliminate bad estrogens in your body and balance out the good estrogens.

* Grapefruit essential oil: Take sixteen drops under the tongue or in a capsule every morning to help balance progesterone. (When our bodies are under stress cortisol inhibits our production of progesterone; grapefruit prevents cortisol from blocking progesterone production.)

* ClaryCalm: Apply to the bottom of your feet, lower abdomen, and wrists everyday to help to balance your hormones and help to manage mood swings.

* LIfeLong Vitality: Take supplements everyday as directed on box. DDR Prime gel caps provide antioxidant support for the cell and promotes a healthy cell apoptosis and renewal. It provides repair and regeneration to the cells as well as aids in the body’s inflammation response. Take as directed on bottle.

* Avoid eating any refined sugar and grains such as white flour or white rice. I recommend cutting out any and all refined sugar and white flour from the third trimester on. It’s best to cut it out from the beginning, but at the very least you should abstain beginning in the third trimester.

Baby Jameson is here!!! Thank God everything went well with labor and delivery and we have a healthy and happy baby boy. Also, thanks to each and every one of you who sent a sweet message via text or social media wishing us well. Get ready for an overload of baby pictures. xo

Being that I currently have one still in diapers and another due to arrive any day now who will be in diapers and needing changing almost every hour I have been looking around for some “diaper area changing” recipes. I came across a few good ones, but knew there would be a few tweaks and additions to my recipe. This recipe I consider, “my little helper” when diaper changing. It makes those dirty diaper yuck yucks easy to clean without having to use tons of wipes. I switch between the soap I add to the recipe to keep it fun for me and currently I am obsessed with Honest Companies Wash & Shampoo so I added it to my spray this go round. OF COURSE I add my DoTerra Melaleuca & Lavender essential oils to the recipe. Melaleuca more commonly known as “Tea Tree”, has over 92 different compounds and limitless applications. It’s renowned for its cleansing and rejuvenating effects on the skin. It promotes healthy immune function and protects against environmental and seasonal threats. Lavender has been used and cherished for centuries for its unmistakable aroma and myriad of therapeutic benefits. It;s widely used for its calming and relaxing qualities, soothes occasional skin irritations and helps skin to recover quickly.